High Street Shopping, Is it Dead ?


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In the past few years the advent of buying  on line an ever growing argument/s  when it comes to buying, or shopping, and sadly it seems too many shops are going that way,  more so,  when you think of so many well known shops once the pride of the high street almost forgotten.


So what are the reasons for so many shops gradually fading into obscurity as names of past well known stores fade into history. ?

Could it be people prefer to shop from home, instead, as high streets losing the sparkle that they once had, as more and more cafes, tea shops and places to eat gradually replace  empty shops ,?
Could it  be  that too many councils are charging too high business  rates,  for businesses in general, as many small shops have overheads and just about manage to run a business, struggling to stay open ?

Other factors not counting homeless people living rough on the streets some begging  for money ?  Is this one reason to put people off going to the shops .?

Do you have any theories, or thoughts, on why so many shops are going out of business ?

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I think more and more people are buying on line, clothes,food and other goods, don't have to struggle around town with the shopping, car park charges are over the top and as you say beggers/druggies/drunks outside the main shopping centers and big store doorways, local business being let down by local councils again

 

Rog

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One of my pet hates is the so called "chuggers" trying to get people to sign up for a particular charity to donate each month.

These people are a menace just lately in Bulwell too.

Who in their right mind is going to give personal details including bank account details to a total stranger in the street .?

My preferred mode of shopping is online, also click & collect stores like Argos in Bulwell.

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Re Catfan's post, I was accosted by a number of these people some months ago. Two of them were trying to persuade people to sign up to animal charities, one was The Dogs' Trust.  On each occasion, they were quite aggressive which got my back up immediately. I offered The Dogs' Trust a donation but that was refused. They wanted me to set up a direct debit!

 

I advised them that I already support a cat charity - and can see where the money goes...every penny to the cats...and then asked the woman whether she was a volunteer or whether she was being paid for her fundraising tactics, in which case, those who sign up are merely paying her salary. How does that benefit dogs?  She declined to answer my question and moved on to someone else! Disturbing.

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I've heard that t he first months donation people sign up to is the "chuggers" commission!

Last couple of weeks in Bulwell it's been the Deaf Childrens Society, who ever they may be.

These charities are usually animal or children related.

 

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When I lived in Gateshead the Metro Centre was 10mins away and Newcastle 5mins, so I used to like to walk around and see and feel the items I wanted to buy.  Now that I live in a small village with Whitby as my nearest town and I have taken to on-line shopping,  I go to Guisborough every two weeks for my food shop, there is a co-op in the village but it is expensive and not a lot of choice.  I love where I live but it does have its drawbacks.   I have said before Mum loves online shopping, both of them are Christmas shopping before all the bargains have gone ..........

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On-line shopping is something I refuse to do whilst I’m still physically able to go shopping, whether it’s groceries, household goods or clothing, I want to see and touch before I buy. I also enjoy the exercise and fresh air.   I have a friend who buys EVERYTHING on-line, even birthday cards, she’s on her lap-top all day long ordering stuff.   The only items we’ve ever bought on-line are lawn feed and wild bird seed, because it’s a lot cheaper.     There’s no doubt about it though, Amazon and eBay are controlling our shopping habits, you only have to look at the enormous warehouses that are now built up and down the M1, the most recent at Junction 24. Nice colour though!  If the Government banned Amazon from trading in the UK for non-payment of tax then our high street shops might recover.  It will never happen. 

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Online shopping equals empty high streets, and that's no good for anyone except that it provides a space for yet another charity shop, or a coffee shop. 

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Yes you’re right there FLY.  I’ve donated tons of clothes to Cancer Research (always them) but only ever bought Christmas cards from the charity.  However a good friend got me thinking the other day, she’d paid just £20 for a fabulous leather jacket from a charity shop in Herts.  Better bargains to be found in more well-off areas me thinks!   

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I buy many CD's online as its much cheaper, and there's no decent record shop in town. However, I could spend hours perusing books in Waterstones. I'd never buy clothes online. If they don't fit, then there's the hassle of getting stuff returned. I like to try stuff on, and see if I look ok first.

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Yes, my brother in law bought a genuine Armani leather jacket in Bournemouth last week...... £20. He's expecting £400 by selling on eBay.

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Customers require their needs to be satisfied from a wide range of choice at lowest cost, with ease, good service and back-up for major consumer goods. If a retailer does not understand that and cater for it, it will go out of business. If it does understand but footfall is insufficient or costs are too high, business rates as an example, it will go out of business.

 

The death knell for High Streets were large supermarkets in the 70's then out-of town retailers, the massive growth of shopping parks arising in the '80s. The coup de grace was the equally massive rise of internet shopping which has virtually wiped out local shopping as we knew it, apart from food and services.  

 

There are national chains and smaller local chains or individual proprietors. If it's a national chain, it must have an internet presence that is competitive and more importantly profitable or it will go out of business. Local chains and individuals have to be really cute and provide niche service or they will go out of business.

 

Customers have two requirements;  pleasure from shopping, so-called retail therapy and if wishing to make a specific purchase and having made a decision, the lowest price. Physical shops, whether they be High Streets or City shopping centres  provide the former and sometimes the latter, they're all on a knife-edge though. A customer, having visited a shop, looked and handled product, got help to make an informed choice, then goes and checks out the lowest price on the web when they return home. Buying on the internet also provides enhanced consumer rights.     

 

Back to first paragraph, the customer is king. The High St is dead because it doesn't fit with customer requirements any longer. It's that way because of us.

 

With regard to chuggers, the fact is these people work for major charities, in teams that move about and average pay of £10 per hour per individual, they have a managerial hierarchy and in addition have to pay benefits, nhi, pensions etc and quite possibly commision on direct debit sign-ups. This is before they even start to pay for infrastucture. So donations are paying out for this before anything gets to benefit the end point of the charity. Those who sign direct debits may well then find themselves subjected to requests to increase the amount of donation and may well find they start to receive unsolicited requests from other charities to donate. I would suggest to anyone, walk past these people. Charities have shot themselves in the foot with a cannon.

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There was a program on TV awhile back challenging the practice of 'chugging'. One charity claims it costs 25 to 30p for every pound raised and if it wasn't economical they wouldn't do it. I rarely go into town so it's not something I've noticed or been bothered by.

The one scheme I find slightly off putting is the guy who became a multi-millionaire by pushing plastic bags through the door asking for clothing. He then ships them to countries in Africa where apparently it's wrecking the local economy. 

 

TBI is right about the effect of supermarkets and out of town shopping malls. I remember GEM opening and people flocked to see this new wonderful way to shop. Shopping quickly became a leisure activity rather than chore. There was no more struggling  with public transport loaded down with your shopping when you could jump in the car and have everything within easy reach under one roof - and spend less!

Ultimately WE are the reason town centres are dying.

 

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Got my annual eye test at Vision express on the high street in Boston glasses prices start at £35.00 for some load of rubbish and had to wait three weeks for them, got my prescription and took it home, went online "Select Specs" smart looking glasses (to me anyway) £6.00 plus a couple of quid postage, wearing them within the week

 

Rog

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I wanted 2 bumper cases for 2 tablets, could I buy locally ? No.

Those magnetic cable things I was on about recently could not buy from any shop I visited (many) so no alternative but as much as I dislike Amazon had loads of sellers on there, the same as ebay. Who also had many sellers too.

Not one shop I inquired could source what I wanted or be bothered, so online it was.

Like FLY said, clothes & shoe shopping in store only for the same reasons he gave.

Often it's John Lewis click & collect that's a bit of on line & store shopping !

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Living out in the sticks I have to ask why would I go into Nottingham? I’ve not been in for nearly a year, primarily because of lack of parking spaces, with one park being demolished, one closed for repairs and the Vic. Centre one, which I normally use, being refurbished. Is it worth me doing a 28 mile round trip and then paying an exorbitant parking fee when there are plenty of out of town ‘sheds’ where the parking is free? I do like to see before I buy so the only things I get on line are those not easily obtainable in those ‘sheds’. We don’t go to the theatre these days, mainly because of the parking problems and there are no exceptional eating places to tempt us. If we want to eat out there’s plenty of eating places in Southwell - free evening parking and free for the first two hours in the day. Loads of country pubs between here and the Vale of Belvoir. In any case all these eating places serve reheated ready meals as can be seen by the Brake Brothers vans delivering. We have no bus service, a long walk to the station, which has no parking facilities, and the City Council discourage us with expensive parking fees. If I want clothes I can drive to Downtown/Boundary Mills near Grantham where there are well known labels at half the price of John Lewis. What’s the incentive? Name me the attractions of Nottingham? I will probably never visit again. Me - a sad old cynic!:biggrin:

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I have to & visit Nottingham city centre at least 3 times a week or I get withdrawal symptoms, I can walk it in 20 minutes, I was gutted to miss Forests 2 wins & last Saturday night in Nottingham, posted while horizontal on Kathara Beach, Greece ......... Horrible :crazy:

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3 hours ago, plantfit said:

Got my annual eye test at Vision express on the high street in Boston glasses prices start at £35.00 for some load of rubbish and had to wait three weeks for them, got my prescription and took it home, went online "Select Specs" smart looking glasses (to me anyway) £6.00 plus a couple of quid postage, wearing them within the week

 

Rog

Scottish blood in your veins Rog? I must admit I get the prescription and buy on line from Spex for Less. High St. opticians are a complete rip-off.

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9 hours ago, catfan said:

So how can shops offer massive discounts off prices in sales etc.

Seems to me shops are ripping customers off & getting away with it.

They don't have much option, catfan. They need to turn stock over and maintain cash-flow. Sales are usually seasonal sell-offs, end-of-line and discontinued, loss leaders, keeping abreast with competitors etc. Depends which products, too, very little margin in electricals to large margins on clothing. They aren't really ripping customers off, the higher non-sale prices off-set those big reductions you mention come sale time, swings and roundabouts. They need to to survive, as we see, if they don't get away with it they go bust. 

 

That's where savvy shopping comes in though, good for us customers.

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Chuggers? I am not even polite to them any longer, having been almost abused by them. One said, after I said I was not interested, said very loudly "Do you not care about children with cancer" with the obvious intent to humiliate. She got both barrels. First question was how much do you earn and how much is your CEO salary? 

 

I never fail to buy a poppy, and usually from someone who has a chest full of medals. 

 

There is a hope for the city, and I hope Nottingham can improve, although I doubt if the Council or anyone else has the nous to do this. People travel abroad and see fresh food markets, and want some of this at home. I am one of them. 

 

One element is that people are becoming attuned to quality products. @gem will know some of the markets. I often visit Helmsley market, and it is good. Lots of local produce of the finest kind and specialist products like cheese. York too is improving rapidly in a similar vein. Some of the smaller towns are developing very good markets. 

 

My solution? Re-open the Central market and charge the stallholders providing food very little for the stall. Control it well, so that it is not full of dodgy t shirt sellers and encourage farmers and even allotment owners to sell produce. 

 

I would go a long way to find lettuce which tastes of lettuce, and not of blotting paper, and tomatoes which taste like tomatoes...... Also blewits.... long time since I had a good blewit. 

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